Trash loading and transporting vehicle



June 13, 1967 J. M. SHUBIN 3,325

TRASH LOADING AND TRANSPORTING VEHICLE Filed June 4, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 fil'az INVENTOR- 2 JdA A M fldi/A/ BY%/2 @u- Avraz/vs June 13, 1967 J. M. SHUBIN 3,325,024

TRASH LOADING AND TRANsPORTING VEHICLE Filed June 4, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Era-.3

INVENTOR JOA A/ M SA UZ/A/ 3,325,024 TRASH LOADING AND TRANSPORTING VEHICLE John M. Shubin, 300 N. Wycliif Ave, San Pedro, Calif. 90732 Filed June 4, 1965, Ser. No. 461,316 22 Claims. (El. 214-302) This invention relates to trash handling equipment, and more particularly to a cargo truck incorporating power means for elevating the trash into a receiving hopper incorporating power driven means for transferring the trash into the storage compartment while crushing it.

The collection and transportation of loose trash presents problems owing to its bulk and general lightness. Various proposals have been advanced heretofore for crushing and compacting the trash both after it is charged into the storage compartment and while undergoing transfer into the storage compartment. However, these various devices are subject to many disadvantages including in particular the size and weight of the equipment provided for these purposes and the very considerable amount of power required to operate the crushing equipment. Furthermore, for the main part, such crushing devices have little or no effectiveness in distributing the crushed contents within the large volume storage compartment of the vehicle.

The present invention has as its principal purpose avoiding the foregoing and other shortcomings of prior mobile trash handling equipment and in providing unusually simple, rugged, and highly efiective means for crushing the trash as an incident to its transfer into and throughout the main storage compartment. These and related objectives are achieved according to the principles of this invention by providing a receiving hopper which preferably is attached to the chassis at the forward end of the main storage compartment. Trash loading and elevating equipment is arranged to dump bulk quantities of trash into the top of this hopper. Arranged normally in a retracted position opposite the hopper outlet is a compact but high-strength trash crusher pivotally supported between the hopper side walls and having power means for pivoting it toward and away from the hopper outlet. When in its normal retracted position, the trash transfer and crusher means lies against the front wall of the hopper. When moved toward its extended position, the crusher moves the hopper contents bodily toward the storage compartment causing the lower portion of the hopper contents to be transferred into the storage chamber while being crushed against previous deposits of trash. Simultaneously, the trash contents in the upper portion of the hopper are partially crushed against the hopper wall and then fall into the bottom of the hopper as the crusher means is retracted during the final half of the operating cycle. Subsequent operating cycles of the crusher also function to deliver charges of trash into the storage compartment along a path generally toward the remote upper corner of the storage compartment, and, in so doing, to compact the new charge as well as previous charges. During later phases of the loading operation compacted trash is rolled upwardly over previous charges into upper portions of the compartment until the latter is fully loaded with crushed and compacted trash.

Another feature of the design is the use of power cylinders arranged in the lower corner of the hopper behind the trash transfer and crusher means and at an angle relative to one another so as to occupy a minimum of space when fully retracted. Desirably, the hopper and crusher are mounted rigidly on the chassis immediately adjacent and opening into the forward end of the storage compartment and having an open top in a convenient rates atent ice position to receive trash from a front-mounted trash elevating mechanism.

Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a new and improved trash handling vehicle featuring a receiving hopper incorporating therein trash transfer and crushing mechanism.

Another object of the invention is the provision of trash handling equipment including a receiving hopper incorporating therein simple, highly eflicient power-driven crushing and transfer means.

Another object of the invention is the provision of trash handling equipment having a bulk trash-receiving hopper provided with means for simultaneously transferring a part of the hopper contents into receiving means therefor while crushing the same and while compacting another portion of the hopper contents.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a mobile trash transport having power loading means and a receiving hopper embodying therein trash transfer and compacting means.

Another object of the invention is the provision of trash handling equipment having a receiving hopper provided with a movable wall extending substantially throughout the height of the hopper and the lower portion of which functions to crush and transfer trash as the upper portion thereof compacts trash in the upper part of the hopper.

These and other more specific objects will appear upon reading the following specification and claims and upon considering in connection therewith the attached drawings to which they relate.

Referring now to the drawings in which a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated.

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a preferred emblpdiment of the present invention incorporated in a true FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary sectional view on an enlarged scale through the hopper and the forward end of the storage compartment shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary view on an enlarged scale of the lower portion of the receiving hopper;

FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 4-4 on FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 55 on FIGURE 3.

Referring more particularly to FIGURE '1, there is shown a trash handling truck designated generally This truck includes a chassis of any suitable type 11. Pivotally connected to the rear end of this chassis by pivot pin 12 is a covered trash storage compartment 14 provided with a discharge door 15 pivotally connected thereto by suitable hinge means 16. Power means, such as a hydraulic cylinder 13, may be mounted between the forward end of compartment 14 and the chassis and operating to pivot the compartment upwardly about pivot pin 12 to discharge the contents at a dump.

Any suitable means may be employed to elevate trash into a hopper 18 here shown as rigidly secured to the chassis with an outlet extending across the width of the forward end of compartment 14. The illustrated trash loading means comprises a well known type of loader having a pair of links 20 arranged along either side of the vehicle and pivotally connected thereto at 21. Extending crosswise of the opposite end of links 20 is a rigid frame including a pair of fork lift members 23 insertable through stirrups 24 secured to the bottom of a trash receiving bin 25. Hydraulic cylinder means, not shown, operating in known manner serve to pivot links 20 between the lower position shown in FIGURE 1 to a dumping position for depositing the contents of bin 25 into the open top of hopper 18. The operating and control details of the trash elevating mechanism are not illustrated in full since these features are well known to those skilled in this art and form no part of the invention proper.

Referring now more particularly to FIGURES 2 through 5, it is pointed out that hopper 18 has a front wall 17 and a pair of side walls 19, 19. Preferably rubber tubing or sponge rubber gaskets 29 are secured to the edges of side walls 19 to provide a seal and a resilient stop between the hopper and the storage chamber. Its rear side is normally closed by a transverse wall 27 forming the front end wall of storage compartment 14. Wall 27 preferably includes a reinforcing channel member 28 across its lower edge. Hopper outlet opening 30 extends across the entire width of the storage compartment and between the lower edge of partition 27 and the bottom of the hopper.

The means for transferring trash from the hopper into the storage chamber 32 includes a reinforced plate-like crushing member 33 having the shape best shown in FIG- URES 2 and 3. This member extends crosswise of the hopper between the outer sides of storage compartment 14 and has a height corresponding generally with the height of hopper 18. Rigidly connected to the upper end of this crusher are a pair of rigid arms 34 provided at their free ends with trunnions 35, 35 (FIGURE journaled in the upper portion of the hopper side walls, as is clearly shown in FIGURES 2 and 3. Desirably, the face of the lower portion 38 of the crusher is so disposed that a line normal to its midportion, and indicated by arrow A, passes through the upper rear corner of the storage compartment as the crusher approaches the end of its pushing stroke or the position generally indicated in FIGURE 3. In consequence, it will be appreciated that the described crusher tends to crush and to move trash along an axis, indicated by arrow A, passing through portion 38 and the rear upper corner of compartment 14 as it is being compressed and transferred. It is therefore seen that the plane of this axis divides storage chamber 32 into two generally equal upper and lower parts. The lower portion of the hopper is also provided with an arcuately shaped bottom 37 closely spaced to the lower edge of the packer and effective to keep trash from escaping into the chamber behind the packer.

Suitable power means for operating trash compressor 33 is best shown in FIGURES 3 and 4- and comprises a pair of fluid motors 40, 41 having one end of each pivotally connected to bracket means carried at the opposite ends of a supporting shaft 42 extending transversely of the storage compartment and journaled between its ends in bearing brackets 44. The opposite ends of this shaft are additionally journaled in socket members 43 welded to the hopper side walls. The outer ends 45 of the thrust rods of motors 40, 41 are pivotally connected to a yoke 46 socketed in bracket means 47 welded or otherwise secured to the back face of crusher 33. Each of motors 40, 41 is provided with hose connections 49, 49 by which pressurized fluid can be supplied in known manner to either end as waste fluid is exhausted from the other end during the extension and retraction of the motors. As is well known, these hoses are provided with suitable valving readily accessible to vehicle operator and operated to swing crusher 33 to and fro through its operating cycle.

In the operation of the described apparatus, trash is loaded into bin 25 and the latter is then elevated into dumping position relative to the upper end of hopper 18. One or more loads of the bin are deposited in the hopper following which the controls for fluid motors 40, 41 are operated to reciprocate crusher member 33 through one complete operating cycle, i.e., between its normal retracted position shown in FIGURE 2 and its extended position shown in FIGURE 3. Initially, little crushing is accomplished except the partial compaction of trash within the upper portion of the hopper. However, as chamber 32 accumulates more and more charges of trash, succeeding oscillations of the crusher will crush incoming new charges against charges previously deposited in the storage compartment. In this connection, it is pointed out that it is preferable to operate the crusher only after the hopper is substantially full. Under these circumstances, the lower contents of the hopper are partially crushed by the overlying trash. In addition, the upper half of the hopper contents are partially crushed between upper portion 39 of the crusher and hopper partition 27. As crusher 33 returns to its normal retracted position, these partially crushed contents drop into the bottom portion of the hopper and are then further crushed while being pushed against charges previously delivered into chamber 32. As the contents of chamber 32 continue to increase it will be apparent that the entry of further deposits increases the crushing effectiveness. Furthermore, these new deposits tend to roll upwardly over earlier deposits and to be further crushed in the process as they pass upwardly and finally back toward the hopper thereby filling all parts of the storage chamber. Each operation of crusher 33 serves to further compress deposits already present in the storage chamber as well as to increase the crushing efficiency of the crusher on the new deposit itself.

Additional and important features of the invention will be best understood by reference to FIGURE 3 showing the compactor 33 substantially in its fully extended rearward position with the lower portion 38 of the packer substantially closing the hopper outlet opening 30. So long as the hopper is not in use to receive trash, it is customary and preferable to maintain the compactor in this rearward position thereby to confine the trash to the storage compartment and retained against the possibility of escape past the compactor. This avoids the need for a separate closure for the hopper outlet and operating means therefor.

Of importance, too, is the fact that upper portion 39 of the compactor assembly cooperates with adjacent upper portions of the trash hopper to receive trash. It will be noted that the compactor extends completely across the midportion of the hopper in position to receive the contents of bin 25. This is of importance because providing a foolproof safeguard against the possibility of trash being dumped into the space forward of the compactor as would otherwise be possible. If the operator does forget and dump the bin when the compactor is in its rearward position, the operator merely manipulates the control valves for cylinders 40 and 41 and retracts the compactor to its normal position as shown in FIGURE 2 following any trash in the upper portion of the hopper to fall into the bottom of the hopper for transfer into compartment 32 during the next cycle of the compactor.

After a full load has been received within chamber 32,1

the truck proceeds to the dump where door '15 is unlocked and swings outwardly as compartment 14 is elevated about pivot 12 to dump the contents through the open rear end of the compartment. Door 15 is then latched closed and the truck returns to pick up a fresh load.

While the particular trash loading and transporting vehicle herein shown and disclosed in detail is fully capable of attaining the objects and providing the advantages hereinbefore stated, it is to be understood that it is merely illustrative of the presently preferred embodiment of the invention and that no limitations are intended to the details of construction or design herein shown other than as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A trash loading and transporting vehicle having a trash storage compartment having a normally closed discharge opening at one end and a trash receiving hopper at its opposite end, said hopper having an outlet opening near its lower end into said storage compartment, a trash compactor and transfer member extending across said hopper and normally supported in a retracted generally upright position adjacent the hopper wall remote from said outlet opening, means pivotally supporting said compactor member on an axis crosswise of the vehicle near the upper end of said hopper for swinging movement in an arc toward and away from said outlet opening, and power means for swinging said compactor to and fro to transfer trash through said outlet opening and into said storage compartment.

2. A trash vehicle as defined in claim 1 characterized in that said compactor is disposed to discharge trash through said outlet opening and upwardly toward the remote upper corner of said storage compartment.

3. A trash vehicle as defined in claim 2 characterized in that said compactor is effective while transferring trash through said outlet opening to compact other trash in said hopper at level above said outlet opening against the portion of the hopper located above said outlet opening whereby upon retraction of the compactor this compacted trash falls into the bottom portion of said hopper ready for transfer through said outlet opening during the next operating cycle of said compactor.

4. A trash vehicle as defined in claim 1 characterized in that said hopper opens upwardly and is adapted to receive loose trash in all operating positions of said trash compactor and transfer member, and power operated trash elevating means mounted on said vehicle for elevating trash from ground level and dumping the same into the top of said hopper.

5. A trash vehicle as defined in claim 4 characterized in that said trash elevating means includes a trash bin adapted to be up-ended and overturned into the top of said hopper and to serve as an effective closure for the hopper thereby to avoid loss of trash while the vehicle is underway.

6. In combination, a trash receiving compartment, a trash receiving hopper supported at one end of said compartment, said hopper having a trash outlet opening through the lower portion of a wall between said hopper and said trash compartment, rigid compactor means normally held retracted adjacent one wall of said hopper remote from said outlet opening with its upper portion extending to a height substantially above the upper edge of said trash outlet, means movably supporting said compactor for movement across the bottom of said hopper and toward and away from said trash outlet opening to effect transfer of trash in the lower portion of the hopper through said trash outlet opening and into said trash compartment and for crushing trash in the upper portion of the hopper against the wall between said hopper and trash compartment, said compactor means being arranged to operate out of shearing relation to the edges of said trash outlet opening thereby to avoid shearing trash between the upper edge of said outlet opening and the adjacent lower portion of said compactor means as trash is being transferred thereby from said hopper into said receiving compartment, and power means for moving said compactor toward and away from said outlet opening.

7. The combination defined in claim 6 characterized in that the face of said compactor adjacent the lower end of said hopper lies generally normal to a plane passing therethrough and through the remote upper corner of said compartment in the extended position of said compactor whereby trash being discharged into said compartment is directed upwardly over previous deposits of trash delivered into the compartment.

8. In combination, a closed trash storing compartment having a normally closed discharge door at one end, a trash receiving hopper across the opposite end of said compartment having a wall in common with said compartment and provided in its lower portion with an outlet opening from said hopper, a trash compactor mounted on a pivot axis across the upper midportion of said hopper and parallel to the plane of said outlet opening, power means connected to swing said compactor to and fro across the bottom of said hopper, and said compactor being effective to transfer trash into said compartment along an inclined plane passing through the remote upper corner portion of said compartment and acting to crush the trash and to distribute the same upwardly into the compartment over prior deposits of trash.

9. The combination defined in claim 8 characterized in that said power means comprises a pair of fluid motor means connected between the lower midportion of said compactor and the opposite lower corners of haid hopper remote from said outlet opening.

10. The combination defined in claim 9' characterized in that said fluid motors comprise a pair of piston and cylinder assemblies having their adjacent ends pivotally connected to the transverse central portion of said compactor and the remote ends supported at the opposite lateral sides of said hopper.

11. In combination, a trash collecting vehicle, a closed trash storage compartment mounted on said vehicle and having a pivot connection to the vehicle chassis crosswise of the rear lower end of said compartment, a normally closed discharge door across the rear end of said storage compartment, an open top receiving hopper across the forward end of said compartment having an outlet from the rear lower side thereof into the lower forward end of the trash storage space, swinging compactor means pivotally supported crosswise of said hopper having a pivot axis extending crosswise of the upper midportion of the hopper with the lower end movable toward and away from said outlet opening, and power means for swinging said compactor from its normal retracted position at the forward side of said hopper toward said hopper outlet and cooperating therewith to transfer trash upwardly and re-arwardly into said closed storage compartment and further effective to crush other trash present in the upper portion of the hopper.

12. The combination defined in claim 11 characterize-d in that said compactor means includes rigid means cooperating with the hopper wall overlying said outlet opening to compact trash present in the upper part of the hopper as the lower part of said compactor means is transferring trash therefrom through said outlet opening.

13. The combination defined in claim 11 characterized in that said hopper and said compactor means are supported on said vehicle independently of said storage compartment, and means for pivoting the forward end of said storage compartment upwardly away from said hopper to dump its contents through said discharge door.

14. The combination defined in claim 11 characterized in that the front end of said storage compartment is closed by an end wall secured across the upper portion of said front end serving as a common dividing wall between said hopper and storage compartment when the latter compartments is lowered into loading position.

15. The combination defined by claim 14 characterized in the provision of resilient gasket means between the rearwardly facing edges of said hopper and the juxtaposed forwardly facing portions of said storage compartment.

16. The combination defined in claim 13 characterized in that the bottom of said hopper is arcuate in shape with a radius of curvature centered on the pivot axis of said pivoting compactor means.

17. The combination defined in claim 16 characterized in that the rear edge of said arcuate hopper bottom terminates at a level substantially above the bottom of the front end of said storage compartment whereby the same provides a barrier against the return flow of trash back into said hopper from said storage compartment.

18. The combination defined in claim 6 characterized in that said compactor means is adapted to provide a closure for said outlet opening when pivoted to a rearward position lying close to the plane of said outlet opening, and said power means being operable to maintain said compactor means in position to close said outlet opening between trash receiving operations.

19. The combination defined in claim 6 characterized in that said compactor means when in the rearward position thereof provides a closure for said hopper outlet to prevent the escape of trash from said trash receiving compartment, and being further characterized in that the upper portion of said compactor means cooperates with the upper portion of said hopper in providing a receiving hopper of reduced capacity.

20. A trash collecting vehicle as defined in claim 11 characterized in that said swinging compactor means is movable to a position wherein the lower portion thereof substantially fully closes said outlet opening in the rearward trash-compacting position thereof thereby to prevent trash from escaping between trash receiving operations of said vehicle.

21. A trash handling hopper for receiving trash and crushing one portion thereof while transferring another portion of crushed trash out of the hopper, said hopper having bottom and side walls provided with a trash inlet opening in the upper portion thereof and an outlet opening in one side wall adjacent said bottom, and power driven means movable across said bottom toward and away from said outlet opening, said power driven means having its lower portion disposed opposite said outlet opening and its upper portion disposed opposite the hopper wall overlying the upper edge of said outlet opening and with all portions thereof spaced from and out of shearing relation to the upper edge of said outlet opening in all positions of said power driven means whereby movement of said power driven means toward said outlet opening is effective to crush trash present in the hopper above the outlet as other trash crushed during the outlet opening and to support crushed trash between the 1 upper portion thereof and the hopper wall overlying said 1 outlet opening, and said power driven means operating during its backward stroke to permit the crushed trash to gravitate onto the hopper bottom in the path of the power driven means during its next forward stroke.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,652,163 9/ 1953 Stickney. 2,826,318 3/1958 Beastey -e 215-302X 2,965,254 12/1960 Bowles.

3,062,394 11/196'2 Bowles 214-510 3,228,545 1/1966 Bollinger 214-503 3,230,868 1/1966 Smith 100-100 3,231,111 1/1966 Clar 214-833 3,232,463 2/ 1966 Weir 214-510 FOREIGN PATENTS 845,43 8- 11/ 1952 Germany. 474,041 8/ 1951 Italy.

HUGO O. SCHULZ, Primary Examiner. 

1. A TRASH LOADING AND TRANSPORTING VEHICLE HAVING A TRASH STORAGE COMPARTMENT HAVING A NORMALLY CLOSED DISCHARGE OPENING AT ONE END AND A TRASH RECEIVING HOPPER AT ITS OPPOSITE END, SAID HOPPER HAVING AN OUTLET OPENING NEAR ITS LOWER END INTO SAID STORAGE COMPARTMENT, A TRASH COMPACTOR AND TRANSFER MEMBER EXTENDING ACROSS SAID HOPPER AND NORMALLY SUPPORTED IN A RETRACTED GENERALLY UPRIGHT POSITION ADJACENT THE HOPPER WALL REMOTE FROM SAID OUTLET OPENING, MEANS PIVOTALLY SUPPORTING SAID COMPACTOR MEMBER ON AN AXIS CROSSWISE OF THE VEHICLE NEAR THE UPPER END OF SAID HOPPER FOR SWINGING MOVEMENT IN AN ARC TOWARD AND AWAY FROM SAID OUTLET OPENING, AND POWER MEANS FOR SWINGING SAID COMPACTOR TO AND FRO TO TRANSFER TRASH THROUGH SAID OUTLET OPENING AND INTO SAID STORAGE COMPARTMENT. 